Disc type press



Nov. 23,1965

M. E. GINAVEN ETAL DISC TYPE PRESS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 4, 1963 INVENTORS fiflEl/M/ 6. 6/4/1910? 40 1. 05780486 u? 21 Mm arr-0e: Y

' 3, 5 M. E. GINAVEN ETAL 3, 18,963

DISC TYPE PRESS Filed March 4; 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS flllV/IVE c/xww/aw Jaw/v 1. curves 1965 M. E. GlNAVE N ETAL 3,

DISC TYPE PRESS Filed March 4, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS MARI/11V a. 6mm vew 1/0 t. OSTCOJG 1965 M. E. GINAVEN ETAL 3,

DISC TYPE PRESS Filed March 4, 1963 5 Sheets-Shem: 4

IN V EN TORS MfiRV/A 6'. a/A/flvew 401m 4. 03 780/86 "mm W Nov. 1965 Filed March 4, 1963 M. E. GINAVEN ETAL DISC TYPE PRESS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 BY 3mm United States Patent 3,218,963 DISC TYPE PRESS Marvin E. Ginaven and John L. Ostborg, Springfield, Ohio, assignors to The Bauer Bros. (30., Springfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Mar. 4, 1963, Ser. No. 262,459 6 Claims. (Cl. 100-121) This invention relates to a disc type press which is compact, more economical to install, achieves a more uniform end product and has a greater efficiency and flexibility in operation than conventional units of this character.

The object of the invention is to simplify the construction as well as the means and mode of operation of disc type press units, whereby such devices may not only be economically manufactured, but will be more eflicient and satisfactory in use, adaptable to a wide variety of application, and be unlikely to get out of order.

Another object of the invention is to provide improvements in the construction of disc type press units enabling their application to the sanitary processing of foodstuffs.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cone type press including operating heads of an improved character.

Another object of the invention is to achieve improvements in disc type press units enabling a greater uniformity of their end products.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a disc type press unit, the operating heads of which offer improved drainage features.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cone type press including simple and effective means for varying the clearance between its operating heads.

A further object of the invention is to provide disc type press elements with an improved and more effective drive system.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel bar frame enabling an improved operating head for a disc type press.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel bar element for use in producing an improved operating surface for a disc type press.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved disc type press possessing the advantageous structural features, the inherent meritorious characteristics and the mode of operation herein mentioned.

With the above and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation as hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or their equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein is shown one but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 1 reveals a top plan view of a disc type press in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary end view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view referenced to line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view referenced to line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a view taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an end view illustrating details of the supports for the operating heads of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a plan view illustrating a sub-frame, a plurality of which nest in the device of FIG. 7 to slidably accommodate bars to form the operating head of a disc unit as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a bar such as indicated in FIG. 8; and

FIG. 10 is an elevation view of the bar of FIG. 9.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

The press shown in the drawings has a housing the base portion of which is formed by a shell 10. The shell 16 includes a front wall 11, back wall 12 and end walls 13, the latter of which diverge from front to rear. Spaced to either side of its center, the shell 10 is bridged by partitions 14 and 15. The partitions 14 are in respectively adjacent spaced parallel relation to the end walls 13. The partitions 15 are respectively parallel to the end wall most adjacent thereto and form a well 16 centrally of the shell 10 thereby, the side walls of which diverge from front to rear similarly to the end walls 13.

A central recess in the upper edge of each end wall is rimmed by a semi-circular flange 17. A semi-annular plate 18 having a flange 17' at its lower edge to mate with the flange 17 forms a vertical extension of each end wall. Each plate 18 connects to and provides an inner wall element of a cap-type structure 19 fixed to form an enclosure exteriorly of the end wall to which it mounts. The structure 19 includes a wall section 20 spaced outwardly from and generally parallel to the adjacent end wall rimmed by a peripheral wall section 61 of arcuate contour. The wall 61 connects at its upper portion, co extensively with the outer peripheral portion of plate 18, and, at its lower portion, to the adjacent end wall, generally perpendicular thereto. Accordingly, the press housing is provided with a structure 19 forming an enclosure exteriorly of each end wall 13 which caps an opening thereto defined by mating flanges 17 and 17.

The upper edge of each of the partitions 15 have a recess similar to but deeper than that in the respectively adjacent end wall. This recess is defined by a semi-circular flange 21. A semi-annular plate 22 having a flange 21' at its lower edge to mate with the flange 21 forms a vertical extension of each of the partitions 15.

The respective pairs of mating flanges 21 and 21 are so arranged to orient coaxial to the mating flanges 17 and 17 on the most adjacent end wall 13. They also define through apertures in the wall structures which provide the respective sides of the well 16, each of which is bridged by a plate unit 23.

Each plate unit 23 has a central aperture rimmed by a diametrically split ring 24. The inner peripheral wall of each ring 24 nests a bearing seal 25 which projects therefrom. Each seal 25 accommodates the rearwardly projected extension 7 of a tubular hub 26. The extension '7 is formed by an annular spacer disc 8 having an axially oriented tubular projection 9 which telescopically nests the expanded extremity 28 of a shaft 29. A slinger plate 6 is interposed between each disc 8 and hub 26 to form a seal thereabout. The hub 26, plate 6, disc 8 and the flange defined by the shaft end 28 are in each instance secured together by screws as evidenced in FIG. 4 of the drawings.

Each shaft 29 is oriented to project in a sense perpendicular to and from the partition 15 adjacent one end to and through the aperture defined by the mating flanges 17 and 17 on the most adjacent end wall 13. The remote extremities of the shafts 29 terminate in the enclosures 19 within which each fixedly mounts a gear 30.

Each shaft 29 is supported intermediately a partition 15 and an end wall 13 in a bearing sleeve 31 suitably anchored at one end to the flanges 17 and 17 on the end wall. As may be seen the drawings, each shaft is successively reduced from its extremity 28 to provide it with cylindrically step sections 32 and 33 followed by a section 34 which is conically tapered to its end section 35 the extremity of which mounts the gear 30 in the enclosure 19. The sleeve 31 nests a bearing 36 in one end for the shaft portion 33 and a bearing 37 in its other end for the shaft portion 35. The respective ends of the sleeve are suitably capped to provide bearing seals for the shaft portions contained thereby.

The forward extremity of each hub 26 in the well 16 is bridged by a plate 38 fixed thereto. Formed on the outermost face of this plate is a generally cylindrical projection 39. The proiection 39 is centrally recessed to accommodate a disc type insert 40 sized to project outwarly therefrom to a degree and for purposes to be further described.

Fixed about each hub 26 within the well portion 16 and immediately adjacent the partition 15 is the base portion of a spider 41. The spider 41 includes a series of identical arms 42 which incline forwardly about the hub 26 in a generally expanding conical fashion to mount a ring 43 on their projected extremities. As may be seen in FIG. 4 of the drawings, the projected extremity of the ring 43 lies in a plane generally common to the plate 38.

Equidistantly spaced in a sense circumferentially at each hub 26 are generally triangular plates 44 which orient longitudinally thereof and project radially therefrom. The plates 44 are fixed to and nested by the spider 41 and the adjacent inner end of the ring 43.

The forward edges of the plates 44, to their ends radially innermost, nest the plate 38. From the plate 38, these edges are uniformly sloped outwardly and in a sense rearwardly of the hub 26 to approximately their centers. From their centers, they extend in a direct radial line to the inner wall of ring 43 thereabout, intermediate its longitudinal extremities.

At a location centered intermediate their radial extremities, respectively adjacent plates 44 are interconnected by plates 45. The plates 45 are fixed to mutually define an equilateral polygon. The face of each plate 45 which is radially outermost mounts an apertured bracket 46 at its center, the purpose of which shall be further described.

The peripheral portion of the plate 38 projects to form a shoulder 47 about the base of the cylindrical projection 39. Ring 43 is countcrbored at its projected extremity to provide it with a shoulder 48 concentric to ,but spaced rearwardly from the shoulder 47 and a wall section 49 concentric to but oriented rearwardly of the projection 39.

Thus each hub 26 mounts a frame defined by a spider 41, plates 44 and a ring 43 which together with plate 38 form a circular receptacle about the generally cylindrical projection 9. The base of this receptacle is defined by the axially oifset shoulders 47 and 48 and its outer peripheral limit by the wall section 49 on the ring 43. This receptacle is filled by a series of end abutting relatively arcuate frame units 50.

Each of the frame units 50 constitutes a segment of a conical section. It includes an inner arcuate wall section 51, an outer arcuate wall section 52 and an intermediate wall section 53 arranged concentric to and spaced equally from the inner and outer Wall sections. The wall sections 51 and 52 have equal depth and respectively seat to the shoulder 47 and the shoulder 48. Their remote surfaces respectively abut the cylindrical projection 39 and the wall 49 on the ring 43. The base portions of the respectively adpacent wall sections are interconnected by radially oriented arms 54 which are formed integral therewith. The radial outermost portion of the wall section 53 includes apertured brackets 55.

As the frame units 50 are embodied in the receptacle about the cylindrical projection 39, it becomes obvious that the wall sections thereof are successively offset in an axial sense and the outermost surfaces thereof together with the adjacent surfaces of the projection 39 and the ring 43 thereabout define a surface of conical contour about the insert 40.

The respectively opposite surfaces of the wall sections 51, 52 and 53 of each frame unit are identically undercut at 56 to enable the frame unit to slidably accommodate bar elements 57 which form the operating surfaces of the press disc assembly which mounts to a hub 26 as above described.

Each of the bar elements 57 is uniformly tapered from one end 58 to its opposite end 59. Formed integral with its base to either end, is a dependent foot 62 a portion 63 of which extends beyond the end of the bar and portion 64 of which projects laterally of the bar.

In assembling the bars 57 to a frame unit 50, the bars are introduced through one side between wall elements 51 and 53 and 52 and 53 to have the extensions 63 at their base slidably engage in the undercut portions 56. Between respectively adjacent wall sections of the frame, the bars are radially oriented thereby in immediately adjacent relation, contact being provided therebetween by the laterally projecting base portions 64 of their feet to form slots therebetween. A plate strip 65 is fixed to overlie each side of the frame unit to contain the bars 57 assembled thereto.

The bars 57 so assembled to the frame units produce an operating face on each disc assembly in the form of a conical section about the insert 40 on its hub 26.

The simplicity of the application of the bars 57 to form a conical operating surface on the disc assembly to the head of each hub 26 is believed obvious. The bars are simply inserted in and confined to their frame units as described. Then each frame unit may be dropped in the circular recess provided about the cylindrical projection 39 to align the bracket thereof with a bracket 46 on a plate 45 thereunder. On application of a screw through the aligned brackets the position of the frame is fixed.

Each end wall 13 and adjacent wall 20 of an enclosure 19 mounts bearing for a stub shaft 66 which projects therethrough. A pinion 67 is fixed to the shaft 66 in mesh with the bottom of the gear 30 interiorly of the enclosure. The respective shafts 66 project interiorly of the shell 10 to respectively connect through universal joints 68 to opposite ends of a shaft 69. Partitions 14 mount a guard sleeve 70 for the shaft 69 which projects therethrough. One shaft 66 projects exteriorly of its enclosure 19 to connect to the drive shaft 71 of a motor 72 which is exterior to the press housing. Thus, drive of shaft 71 on energizing the motor 72 produces a simultaneous drive of shafts 29 through pinions 67 and gears 30.

As may be noted from the drawings, the shafts 29 are relatively inclined due to their respective perpendicularity to the divergent end walls 13. Thus, the operating faces of their respective heads are caused to diverge from front to rear of the press housing. In the example illustrated, the bars 57 on each disc assembly on a shaft 29 form a conical press surface. The inclination of the shafts 29 causes the opposite bars 57 on their respective heads to be adjacent and generally parallel when oriented to project directly to the front of shell 10. As driven by the shafts 29, the bars then will diverge as they move to the back of the press housing where they reach their point of maximum separation. Subsequent rotation of the shafts 29 causes the bars to approach each other as they move back to the front of the press housing where they achieve an adjacent parallel relation as they move thereby.

The shell 10 is capped intermediate the ends walls 13 and partitions 15 by plates 73. The spider portions of the disc assemblies are respectively capped by arcuate cover elements 74 fixed at one end co-extensive with the relatively adjacent annular plate section 22. A wedge shaped cap element 75 completes the closure of the press housing. The element 75 connects to and bridges the adjacent divergent edges of the cover elements 74 and extends to completely surround the rings 43 and form an enclosure thereabout. The inner wall of cap 75 mounts a bearing seal 76 for each ring 43. Depending centrally from the cap 75 on a line from front to rear of the press housing and dividing the Well 16 into equal portions to either side thereof is a plate 77. The plate 77 is in the shape of a sector of a circle the apex of which lies on the intersection of extensions of the major axes of the inclined shafts 29. The lowermost portion of this sector is in the form of a wedge shaped disc 78 which fills the space between inserts 40 on the respectively adjacent ends of the hubs 26. In the example illustrated, the disc 78 serves as a reference for establishing a predetermined spacing between the operating surfaces of the relatively adjacent disc assemblies as provided by the bars 57. This spacing is governed by the thickness of the discs 8 and the depth of the complementary inserts 40. To change the spacing one need only pull one or more of the assemblies 27 on release of its connecting screws and replace the connected disc 8 behind its hub 26 with one of different thickness in a manner believed obvious. When the assembly 27 is replaced, it will have had its operating surface moved to or from the disc 78 and thereby from the operating surface of the relatively adjacent disc assembly 27. To compensate for the shift in the assembly 27 by a change of a disc 8, its insert 40 must be replaced with one of greater or less depth in inverse relation to the change in thickness of the associated disc 8. The depth of the insert 40 will be just sufficient so it will abut the adjacent face of the disc 78 which serves as the reference and fixes the respective orientation of the shafts 29 thereby.

A material delivery opening 79 is defined in the cap portion 75 immediately to the rear of the dependent sector plate 77. An outlet opening 80 is defined in the cap 75 immediately forward of the plate 77 to the front of the press housing. Fixed to the respective radial sides of the plate 77 are strip plates 81 which bridge the operating surfaces of the disc assemblies to block passage of material therewith from the outlet opening 80 to the inlet opening 79.

Extending between the partitions 15, at the bottom of the well 16, is a plate 83 which is centrally depressed to provide a channel to a drain outlet 84.

Thus, the press above described provides a press chamber housing adjacent relatively inclined disc assemblies the operating surfaces of which are formed by tapered bars providing drain slots therebetween. In operation, material to be pressed and dewatered or drained is delivered through the inlet opening 79. On energizing the motor 72, the disc assemblies are simply and conjointly driven in a direction of rotation as indicated in the draw ings. The material delivered through the inlet 79 initially enters between opposite portions of the rotating disc assemblies in the area of their maximum separation or divergence to the rear of the press housing. Since the dependent portion of the cap 75 is arranged to form a seal about the rings 43 and the area therebetween, the material is contained by and gradually compressed between the opposite surface portions of the disc assemblies formed by the bars 57 as they gradually approach in the course of their rotation to advance to the front of the press housing and the outlet 80. The drain slots as formed between the bars 57 facilitate that liquids expressed from the material in the compression process as the bars relatively approach are caused to discharge through the spiders 41 to fall to the plate 83 and flow to the drain outlet 84. As maximum compression of the material is achieved between opposite bars 57, and the bars start to diverge in the course of their rotation upwardly and to the rear of the press housing, the material is slightly released. At this point, the material encounters the forwardly inclined wall defined by the plate 81 which is fixed to the spacer plate 77 to incline forwardly to the 6 outlet 80. The compressed and dewatered material is swiftly and effectively discharged thereby.

It may be seen that the present installation is not only simple but its operation is highly effective and efiicient. The invention provides a press installation of a unique character featuring disc assemblies the elements of which are novelly and simply related for optimum press and dewatering procedures, thereby achieving an advance in the art. Not only is the installation as provided by the invention relatively sealed but the components thereof are so designed to facilitate servicing and maintenance procedures. The invention design lends itself to a stainless steel construction, a feature of importance when considering the needs of the food processing industry. The invention embodiments, moreover, have a flexibility of operation and application and achieve a uniformity of the end products which are processed therein.

Particular attention is directed to the novel means provided in the illustrated embodiment for producing a simple variable spacing between opposed disc assemblies, a portion of which is effectively used to provide a foolproof discharge of processed materials. An important feature of the invention is evidenced by the use in the press assembly of disc type operating surfaces which are relatively inclined and preferably of unique bars 57 incorporated in the form of a conical section and providing drain slots therebetween. The frame segments which simply and slidably nest the bars 57 have an ease of application offering great utility in disc type press assemblies. It is noted that the method and nature of the installation of the press operating surfaces incorporating a conjoint drive mechanism insures optimum operating efiiciency.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclose-d comprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention We claim:

1. A press including, a pair of shafts, tapered bar-like members conically oriented about said shafts to define slots therebetween and form relatively opposed press surfaces, said members being fixed for rotation with said shafts and oriented thereby for relative approaching and separating movement of generally opposed portions of said press surfaces during rotation thereof with said shafts, means bridging peripheral portions of said press surfaces to form a containing seal thereabout including an inlet for delivery of material between said relatively opposed portions as they relatively separate for compression therebetween in the process of their approach, an outlet defined in said seal for discharge of the material subsequent to compression and drain thereof through said slots, spacer means fixed to depend from said seal and between said shafts to establish a predetermined minimum spacing between generally opposite portions of said press surfaces, and means for interposition between at least one of said shafts and its press surface for producing a predetermined variation in said spacing.

2. Apparatus for forming an operating head for a press or the like consisting of a frame including radially spaced arcuate wall segments, means bridging said wall segments to define concentric recesses therebetween, opposite portions of said wall segments being undercut, tapered bars having sloping projecting ends slidably accommodated in opposite undercut portions of said wall segments to fill said recesses and define slots therebetween and means fixing said bar segments in said recesses.

3. A disc assembly for use as an operating head of a cone disc press, including concentric radially spaced hub and ring members interconnected in planes offset to one another, at least one plate segment installed in bridging relation to said members and including inner and outer wall sections respectively interengaged with said hub and ring members, said wall sections having facing undercut portions, a plurality of laterally spaced apart bar elements in bridging relation to said wall sections, each bar element having projecting ends received in respective undercut portions, and means for maintaining said bar elements in a fixed unitarily assembled relation in said plate segment, said last named means comprising spacers between said bar elements and plate strips overlying sides of said wall sections, undercut portions of said sections opening through at least one side of each wall section for introduction and removal of said bar elements.

4. A disc assembly according to claim 3, characterized by longitudinally spaced dependent feet on each of said bar elements, each of said feet having laterally extending sloping surfaces projecting equally with other surfaces and cooperable with like surfaces of adjacent bar elements to define spacers and having further longitudinally extending sloping surfaces received in said undercut portions of said wall sections.

5. A disc assembly for use as an operating head of a cone disc press, including concentric radially spaced hub and ring members, the latter being in forwardly projected relation to the former, a forward extension on said hub terminating in a coaxial disc disposed in parallel relation to said hub and in forwardly projected relation to said ring, interconnecting frame means including a spider extending from said hub to said ring and further including circumferentially spaced plates extending from said forward extension to said ring, work segments mounted on said ring and said disc in bridging relation thereto and overlying said frame means, said segments being installed in end to end relation, each thereof comprising inner and outer wall sections, said sections having undercut portions, the undercut portions of said sections opening through at least one end of each wall segment, bar elements mounted in said wall sections with their ends received in said undercut portions, said segments having open area between said bar elements for flow of fluid therethrough to and through said spider, and means for releasably securing said segments to said plates.

6. A disc assembly according to claim 5, wherein a pair of assemblies as described is disposed to place one each on opposite sides of a separator element, characterized by a removable bearing plate mounted to each coaxial disc of said assemblies substantially to bear on said separator element and replaceable in an adjustment of spacing of said disc assemblies.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 731,735 6/1903 Anderson 100-148 X 1,018,267 2/1912 Rach 200-158 1,092,800 4/1914 Rach 100158 2,146,158 2/1939 Scherer l00158 3,053,171 9/1962 Asplund 100158 3,105,434 10/1963 Messing 100-158 FOREIGN PATENTS 702,973 2/1941 Germany.

901,861 11/1941 France.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examicr.

LOUIS O. MAASSEL, Examiner. 

2. APPARATUS FOR FORMING AN OPERATING HEAD FOR A PRESS OR THE LIKE CONSISTING OF A FRAME INCLUDING RADIALLY SPACED ARCUATE WALL SEGMENTS, MEANS BRIDGING SAID WALL SEGMENTS TO DEFINE CONCENTRIC RECESSES THEREBETWEEN, OPPOSITE PORTIONS OF SAID WALL SEGMENTS BEING UNDERCUT, TAPERED BARS HAVING SLOPING PROJECTING ENDS SLIDABLY ACCOMMODATED IN OPPOSITE UNDERCUT PORTIONS OF SAID WALL SEGMENTS TO FILL SAID RECESSES AND DEFINE SLOTS THEREBETWEEN THE MEANS FIXING SAID BAR SEGMENTS IN SAID RECESSES. 